airedale
Well-Known Member
Scenario - one large, strong and powerful newly castrated colt. Vet prescribes cold hosing affected part twice per day. Worker on their own with no help
Nowhere safe enough to tie a colt that would not break free or cause more injury. Safest place in stable with rubber mats using a hose.
Then comes along the water regulations inspector. You cannot use a hose. WHAT. Nope - no hose. Well then how do you hose this colt. Use a bucket (not sure if he meant chuck water at colt from safe distance or stand in head kicking zone and sponge affected parts) Either way the 'hosing' would be less effective and the risk to the handler much greater.
So - no hoses allowed. Gantry hoses but then you have to have a tie place that is suitable for the gantry and horses that aren't scared of it (and I've had one that wouldn't go near a gantry hose in 12 months so they do exist). PLUS the gantry hose cannot be fitted to that it can be disconnected from a tap - so if the gantry hose is fitted to where your current tap and hose are - and then the gantry hose freezes in cold winter weather - you are left with NO WATER FOR YOUR HORSES.
So that is a welfare issue for the horses.
Then there is the pressure tap - one that you can stand and hold down the top to fill a bucket - you can have lots of those - provided each has a non-return valve fitted as well - but it means you have to stand by the bucket and cannot do "2 things at once".
So you could have a header tank and carry on with your tap and hose. But the header tank has to have a pump or you'll get zilch in the way of water pressure....and we are told to switch off our TVs etc when on standby but are then told to fit an unnecessary water pump to regain the mains pressure we already had - so much for global warming
Then there is the issue of airgaps for field troughs and water drinkers. There must be an airgap of at least 2.5 inches between the water valve inlet and the surface of the water - not all drinkers do this - these will be 'condemned' and have to be replaced.
Each drinker or field trough has to have its own, individual, cut off valve NEXT TO the trough/drinker - immeditaly next to it - not 6 feet away !!! - failure to comply is enforcement action/fines
All field troughs can only be supplied by pipes dug 2ft 6in into the ground - nothing shallower and NO LAYING OF WATER PIPES ON GROUND SURFACE. Not only this - the water pipes up to the trouhg have to be insulated FROM 2FT 6IN BELOW GROUND up to the input to the trough.
If you want a 'temporary' water trough with surface pipes you have to apply to your water board for a 30/60/90 day license and at the end of htis period the supply must be disconnected. There will be a fee for this license. No hosepipes can be used to fill field troughs unless you have this license for temporary connection......
You cannot use a 'non-return valve' as this mechanical device is only permitted for category 3 risk properties and ALL stables are considered AUTOMATICALLY a category 5 risk - where only an 'air gap' is acceptable. Stables are classified the SAME RISK AS HOSPITALS
Nowhere safe enough to tie a colt that would not break free or cause more injury. Safest place in stable with rubber mats using a hose.
Then comes along the water regulations inspector. You cannot use a hose. WHAT. Nope - no hose. Well then how do you hose this colt. Use a bucket (not sure if he meant chuck water at colt from safe distance or stand in head kicking zone and sponge affected parts) Either way the 'hosing' would be less effective and the risk to the handler much greater.
So - no hoses allowed. Gantry hoses but then you have to have a tie place that is suitable for the gantry and horses that aren't scared of it (and I've had one that wouldn't go near a gantry hose in 12 months so they do exist). PLUS the gantry hose cannot be fitted to that it can be disconnected from a tap - so if the gantry hose is fitted to where your current tap and hose are - and then the gantry hose freezes in cold winter weather - you are left with NO WATER FOR YOUR HORSES.
So that is a welfare issue for the horses.
Then there is the pressure tap - one that you can stand and hold down the top to fill a bucket - you can have lots of those - provided each has a non-return valve fitted as well - but it means you have to stand by the bucket and cannot do "2 things at once".
So you could have a header tank and carry on with your tap and hose. But the header tank has to have a pump or you'll get zilch in the way of water pressure....and we are told to switch off our TVs etc when on standby but are then told to fit an unnecessary water pump to regain the mains pressure we already had - so much for global warming
Then there is the issue of airgaps for field troughs and water drinkers. There must be an airgap of at least 2.5 inches between the water valve inlet and the surface of the water - not all drinkers do this - these will be 'condemned' and have to be replaced.
Each drinker or field trough has to have its own, individual, cut off valve NEXT TO the trough/drinker - immeditaly next to it - not 6 feet away !!! - failure to comply is enforcement action/fines
All field troughs can only be supplied by pipes dug 2ft 6in into the ground - nothing shallower and NO LAYING OF WATER PIPES ON GROUND SURFACE. Not only this - the water pipes up to the trouhg have to be insulated FROM 2FT 6IN BELOW GROUND up to the input to the trough.
If you want a 'temporary' water trough with surface pipes you have to apply to your water board for a 30/60/90 day license and at the end of htis period the supply must be disconnected. There will be a fee for this license. No hosepipes can be used to fill field troughs unless you have this license for temporary connection......
You cannot use a 'non-return valve' as this mechanical device is only permitted for category 3 risk properties and ALL stables are considered AUTOMATICALLY a category 5 risk - where only an 'air gap' is acceptable. Stables are classified the SAME RISK AS HOSPITALS
